Matadors Split Tri-Dual vs. Nebraska, Concordia

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - The Matador Beach Volleyball team split a tri-dual Thursday at the CSUN Beach Volleyball Complex. The Matadors topped Nebraska, 3-2 in the opener before falling to Concordia-Irvine in the final dual of the afternoon by the same 3-2 score.

CSUN 3, NEBRASKA 2
The Matadors picked up their first-ever win over the Huskers in the opening dual of the day. Seyvion Waggoner and Mikaela Maughan took the first point of the day in the No. 2 pair, defeating Nebraska's Ally Batenhorst and Keonilei Akana in straight sets (21-13, 21-16). The Matadors' Kailey Klein and Victoria Rogers made it 2-0 CSUN after coming back to claim a three-set win (17-21, 21-16, 15-13) over Hayden Kubik and Lindsay Krause in the No. 4 pair. The visitors closed the first flight with a 22-20, 21-10 win in the exhibition contest as Kayla Caffey and Anni Evans topped CSUN's Layla Cederlind and Madison Klungel.

The Matadors would clinch the dual win when the No. 1 pair went final as Lauren Eknoian and Victoria Rogers defeated Madi Kubik and Kenzi Knuckles by the score of 22-20, 21-10. Nebraska picked up a point in the No. 5 pair as Nicklin Hames and Whitney Lauenstein held off Abbey Sweeting and Jadin Williams in three close sets (21-18, 19-21, 15-13). The final pair also went to the Huskers as Lexi Rodriguez and Bekka Allick won by forfeit over CSUN's True McCullough and Darbi Honeycutt. The Matadors won the first set, 21-17 before the Huskers evened the pair with a 21-18 win in set two. The CSUN pair then forfetied the final set due to a medical issue making the final score 3-2.

CONCORDIA 3, CSUN 2
The Eagles defeated Nebraska in the middle dual (4-1) before topping CSUN in the final dual of the day. The two matches in the opening flight went the distance as the two teams split the first two pairs. Sara Ostojic and Haliee Ryan knocked off Waggoner and Maughn in the No. 2 pair by the score of 21-15, 20-22, 15-13 before Klein and Rogers evened things up at No. 4. The CSUN pair defeated Shannon Evans and Tautum Smith in three sets (21-16, 19-21, 15-10).

Concordia went up 2-1 after taking the No. 5 pair as Lauren Clifton and Nicole Miller swept Sweeting and Madison Klungel 21-10, 21-17. Eknoian and Sparks then swept Vanessa Bernzen and Hannah Phair 21-19, 25-23 to set up the deciding match at No. 3. In another pair that would go three sets, the Eagles' Ellie Cary and Isabella Bush held off the Matadors' McCullough and Honeycutt in dramatic fashion (20-22, 21-12, 15-9) to earn the 3-2 team win for Concordia.

COACH JOHN PRICE SAID
"I thought we rebounded pretty well from our match on Tuesday. Both Nebraska and Concordia are good teams and to come out of today with a split isn't bad. We'll have to be ready to play at a competitive level again tomorrow."

UP NEXT
CSUN (5-7) continues its eight-match week Friday when the Matadors host Nebraska and The Master's University in a tri-dual beginning at 11 a.m.

CSUN 3, NEBRASKA 2
#1 - Eknoian/Sparks (CSUN) def. Kubik/Knuckles (NEB) – 22-20, 21-10
#2 - Waggoner/Maughan (CSUN) def. Batenhorst/Akana (NEB) – 21-13, 21-16
#3 - Rodriguez/Allick (NEB) def. McCullough/Honeycutt (CSUN) – 17-21, 21-18, 15-0 (Medical Forfeit)
#4 - Klein/Rogers (CSUN) def. Kubik/Krause (NEB) – 17-21, 21-16, 15-13
#5 - Hames/Lauenstein (NEB) def. Sweeting/Williams (CSUN) – 21-18, 19-21, 15-13

CONCORDIA 3, CSUN 2
#1 - Eknoian/Sparks (CSUN) def. Bernzen/Phair (CUI) – 21-19, 25-23
#2 - Otojic/Ryan (CUI) def. Waggoner/Maughan (CSUN) – 21-15, 20-22, 15-13
#3 - Cary/Bush (CUI) def. McCullough/Honeycutt (CSUN) – 20-22, 21-12, 15-9
#4 - Klein/Rogers (CSUN) def. Evans/Smith (CUI) – 21-16, 19-21, 15-10
#5 - Clifton/Miller (CUI) def. Sweeting/Klungel (CSUN) – 21-10, 21-17

#UniteTheValley

Matadors Split Tri-Dual vs. Nebraska, Concordia

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Players Mentioned

Layla Cederlind

Lauren Eknoian

Darbi Honeycutt

Kailey Klein

Madison Klungel

Mikaela Maughan

True McCullough

Victoria Rogers

Abbey Sweeting

Seyvion Waggoner

Jadin Williams